Suture hemostat



. 4, 1 51 R. L. FlN-DL EY 2,577,240

SUTURE HEMOSTAT Filed 001;. l, 1949 W/AWM Patented Dec. 4, :1951

OFFICEf swim nEMosmr I J. Robert L: Findley, WilmingtomCalif.Application October 1, 1949, Serial No. 119,110

is'claims. (01.128440) This invention-relates to anovel sutureihemostatwhereby the edges of a wound may be drawn together by sewing orinserting a thread in an appropriate manner well known in the medicalprofession. The purpose of this suturing is to prevent bleeding at theincision.

An object of my inventionis to provide a novel suture hemostat in whichan efiective knot or loop can be tied in a simple and effective mannerby the physician for thegpurpose of drawing together the edge of awound.

Another. objectofmy invention is to provide a novel 'suture. ,hemostatincluding a bobbin and involving a novel, means of moving the bobbin orshuttle from side to side in order to forma knot or stitch. g

A feature of my invention is to provide anovel suture hemostat inwhichthe needle and the shuttle or bobbin are self contained in theinstrument, as well as a novel means to movethe shuttle or bobbin fromside toside while the stitching is continuing.

Another.- feature of my invention. is to provide a novel manuallyoperable meanstc, move the shuttle. or bobbin from side to side whilethe suturing is continuing.

Other objects, advantages and features ofinvention may appear from the"accompanying drawing, the subjoined detailed description and theappended claims. I I

In the drawing-- e s Figure l is a perspective view of'my suturehemostat. V p

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the jaws of thehemostat. 1

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectionalview taken on line 3--3 of Figure 1.3 V

Figure 4 is an; end view of my suturehemostat taken from thedirection-of theline l4 of Figure 3. 1

Figure 5 isa 'agrammaticviewshowing the method of looping the thread andmoving the shuttle through this loop. I V

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a modified formof my invention.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the jaws of a hemostatshowingfstill another modification of my invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, my

suture hemostat l includes a pair of jaws 2--3 which are pivotallysecured together by the pin this. needle projects.upwardlyv from therjaw.2

. and. is adapted to 'fit between the bifurcations 5 of the jaw 3 in theclosed position of the instrument. This closed position of theinstrument is perhaps best shown in Figure 4.

A lateral groove or recess 1 is formed in the needle 6 and in the closedposition of. the instrument this grooveis aligned .with the bifurcations5 of. the. jaw 3 and. also directly in alignment with the shuttle or.bobbin 8. This shuttle is adapted to move laterally of the instrumentand from one bifurcation to the other of the jaw 3.

In. moving laterally, the shuttle 8 passes through the groove 1 of theneedle 6 and in this movement the end, of. the threadv 9- is passedthrough the loop 10, thus forming the proper knot or stitch whichpermits the edge of the incision to be drawn together to preventbleeding, which is well known in the art. The end of the thread isattached to the bobbin 8, as shown at ll,.-and. the thread passesthrough aaslot l2 in pressing' these fingers the. shuttle will be forced4. The outer end. of the upper jaw 3 is bifurcated, as shown at 5, thepurpose of which will be further. described.

A needle 6 is fixedly mounted inthe .iaw {and thebobbim thus permittingthethread to move lengthwise ofthebobbin and permitting the bob-.bin'to. move into the opening I5 or [6 in the bifurcation'of thejaw 3and without binding the bobbin.

To move the shuttle 8 back and forth from one bifurcation to the other,I provide a pair of flexible spring fingers |3-l4 preferably formed ofwire, which are attached at one end to the jaw 3, the other end of eachspring. fingerprojecting into the outer ends of a lateral bore. 15 or 16which are formed in the bifurcations of the Jaw 3. The spring fingersl3l4 thus will engage the outer. end of theyshuttle 8 and by delaterallyfrom onebifurcation 5 to the other, thus moving through the. groove 1.of the. needle .6 .andforming aproper tie with the loop. [0,.which isconstantly formed in the thread 9. The needle S is provided with a borel7 adjacent its tip and the thread 9 passes through this bore, as bestshown-in Figure 2. The shuttle 8 is somewhat longer than thedistancebetween the bifurcation of the jaw 3 so that the shuttle can span this*opening; In operation, the jaws 2 and 3 are "brought together which"places the parts in the position shown in Figure 1. The operator nowdepresses either the spring finger I 3 or the finger ll, depending uponwhich side the shuttle 8 is resting. When the finger l3 or I4 is thusdepressed, it will pass into the end of the bore ['5 or IE, thus pushingagainst the end of the shuttle 8 andforcing this shuttle across theopening and pass the needle 6 and into the opposite lateral bore.

In Figure 6, I have shown a modified form of my invention, againincluding pivoted jaws [8- IS, the lower jaw l8 being provided with aneedle 20, which is identical in construction to the needle 6,previously described. The needle moves into a vertical opening 2| in theupper jaw [9 when the instrument is closed. A shuttle 22 is mounted inthe upper jaw l9 and this shuttleis adapted to move lengthwise of thejaw I9, as shown. A guide tube 23 is secured to the upper said other jawhaving an opening therein into which the needle may extend, a shuttlemounted in the other jaw and movable across said opening and from oneside of the needle to the other side thereof, said needle having a holetherein through which the suturing thread extends, and said shuttlehaving a slot therein for the securement of the end of a suturingthread, and manually operablemeans engageablewiththe shuttle jaw I9 anda flexible spring wire 24 is mounted I in this arcuate tube and is movedwithin the tube by the pin 25 attached tothe spring wire. The shuttle 22moves into suitable bores 26in the jaw I9 and is moved across the op ing2|;

by means of the wire 24 which presses against the back of the shuttle 22in the same manner having a slot 28 extending from one edge thereof,

as shown. The needle 29 extends into this slot in the closed position ofthe instrument and the shuttle 30 moves across this slot in the samemannor as the shuttle 22, and is actuated in the same manner as theshuttle 22, namely, by a flexible wire 3!, which moves in a guide tube32. In

Figures 6 and 7, the shuttles 22 or 30 are moved across the openings 2!or 28 by the flexible wire 24 or 3|, and this wire is caused to engageeither end of the shuttle by the manual manipulation of the pin 25, allof this occurring after the jaws l8-l 9, or 26-27 are closed.

My suture hemostat will facilitate the securing of the hemostasis oflong incisions, such as hysterectomy or the'cutting of greater omentumin gastric surgery. That is, my instrument will efiectively tie off theedge of an incision to prevent bleeding.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A suture hemostat comprising a pair of pivoted jaws, a needleprojecting from one of said jaws and extending towards the other jaw,theother jaw having an opening therein into which said needle mayextend, said needle having a'hole therein through which the threadextends, a shuttle mounted in saidother jaw for movement across saidopening, and manually operable means to move said shuttle across saidopening and adjacent the needle, means on'the shuttle to secure the .endof the thread thereto and cooperating with the thread carried by.the.:needle to formaknot.

2. A suture hemostat comprising a pair ofplvoted jaws, a needleprojecting from one of said jaws and extending toward the other jaw, theother jaw having an opening therein into which said needle may extend,said needle having a- 'said jaws and projecting towards the other" jaw,

tomovelthe same from} one side of theneedle to the other.

4. A suture hemostat comprising a pair of pivoted jaws, a needle fixedlymounted in one of said jaws and projecting towards the other jaw. saidother jaw having an opening therein into which the needle may extend, ashuttle mounted in the'other jaw and movable across said opening and,jr'rom one side of the needle to the other side thereof, said needlehaving a hole therein through which the suturing thread extends, andsaid shuttle having a slottherein for the securement of the end of asuturing thread, and manually operable means engageable with the shuttleto move the same from one side of the needle to the other, and saidneedle having a groove in the side thereof through which the shuttlepasses as it moves'from one side of the needle to the other.

5. A suture hemostat comprising a pair of pivoted jaws, a needle fixedlymounted in one of said jaws and projecting towards the other jaw, saidother jaw having an opening therein into which the needle may extend, ashuttlemounted in the other jaw and movable across said opening and fromone side of the needle to theother side thereof; said needle having ahole therein through which the suturing thread extends, and said shuttlehaving a slot therein for the securement of the end of a suturingthread, and manually operablemean's engageable with the shuttle to movethe same from one side of the needle to a the other, said manual meansto actuate the shuttle, including a flexible wire engageable with theshuttle and manually operable to move said shuttle in the other jaw. v V

6. A suture hemostat comprising a pair of pivoted jaws, a needle fixedlymounted in one of said jaws and projecting towards the other jaw, saidand said needle h'avingfa groove in the side thereof through which theshuttle passes as it moves from one side of the needle to the other,said manual means to'actuate the shuttle, includingaflexible'wir'e'engageable with the shuttle, and manually operable to move said shuttlein the otherja'w;

7.: A sut'ure hemostat'comprising a pairof pivoted jaws, a needlefixedly mounted in one of said'jaws and projecting towards theother jaw,said other jaw having an opening therein into which said needleprojects; a shuttle reciprocally mounted in said other jaw and movableacross said opening and adjacent the needle, said needle having .a' holeextending therethrough, through which the suturing'threadpasses, saidshuttle having a slot therein for the securement of the end of thesuturing thread,a tubular guide on the other jaw, and a flexible wire insaid tubular guide and slidably mounted therein, the ends of saidflexible wire engaging the shuttle to move said shuttle across theopening and adjacent the needle. 7

8. A suture hemostat comprising a pair of pivoted jaws, a needle fixedlymounted in one of said jaws and projecting towards the other jaw, saidother jaw having an opening therein into which said needle projects, ashuttle reciprocally mounted'in said other jaw and movable across saidopening and adjacent the needle, said needle having a hole extendingtherethrough, through which the suturing thread passes, said shuttlehaving a slot therein for the securement of the 15 1.352.50

end of the suturing thread, a tubular guide on the other jaw, and aflexible wire in said tubular 6 guide and slidably mounted therein, theends of said flexible wire engaging the shuttle to move said shuttleacross the opening and adjacent the needle, said needle having a groovein one side thereof through which said shuttle passes as it moves acrosssaid opening.

ROBERT L. FINDLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Ftacek Sept. 14, 1920 2,507,814Rantanen May 16, 1950

